May 7-10, 2018

Rosemont, Illinois

Donald Stephens Convention Center

Session 11

The Importance of the Environmental Component of Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations

This session will explore the importance of the environmental component of foodborne illness investigations to outbreak prevention and intervention. A CDC speaker will discuss CDC’s new foodborne illness outbreak surveillance system (National Environmental Assessment Reporting System [NEARS]). A microbiologist will discuss his environmental investigation process and techniques, and a representative from New York State Department of Health, will discuss the process and importance of the environmental component of foodborne illness outbreak investigations from a state-level perspective.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the goals of CDC’s National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS).

Describe information gathered during the environmental component of outbreak investigations.

List environmental investigation techniques and methods.

Describe the environmental role in a foodborne illness outbreak investigation.

Understand how NEARS can be implemented by your Food Safety Program.

Describe the difference between contributing factors and environmental antecedents.